Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

केशसंस्कारसंत्यागात्तापत्रयविवर्जितः । नखरोमधरो यस्तु हरौ सुप्ते विशेषतः

Transliteration

keśasaṃskārasaṃtyāgāttāpatrayavivarjitaḥ | nakharomadharo yastu harau supte viśeṣataḥ

Translation

കേശസംസ്കാരം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചാൽ മനുഷ്യൻ ത്രിതാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു വിമുക്തനാകുന്നു. നഖം, ദേഹരോമം, താടി മുതലായവ മുറിക്കാതെ ഇരിക്കുന്നവൻ—വിശേഷിച്ച് ഹരി ശയനത്തിലിരിക്കുന്ന ചാതുർമാസ്യകാലത്ത്—മഹാപുണ്യം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• केश-संस्कार-संत्यागात्: from abandoning hair-rituals (grooming/tonsure rites)
• केश-संस्कार-संत्यागात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/हेतु-अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + संत्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (केशानां संस्कारस्य संत्यागः; तस्मात्)

• ताप-त्रय-विवर्जितः: free from the three sufferings
• ताप-त्रय-विवर्जितः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ताप (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वि+वृज्/वर्ज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) ‘विवर्जित’; तत्पुरुषः (तापत्रयेन विवर्जितः = free from the three afflictions)

• नख-रोम-धरः: one who keeps nails and body-hair (untrimmed)
• नख-रोम-धरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नख (प्रातिपदिक) + रोम (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; धृ धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (नखानि रोमाणि च धरति इति)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• हरौ: in/with respect to Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सुप्ते: when (he is) asleep
• सुप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; स्वप् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय; विशेष + तसिल्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb: ‘especially’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Cāturmāsya observer with unshorn hair and untrimmed nails stands near a Viṣṇu shrine; in the sanctum, Viṣṇu rests as Śeṣaśāyī, suggesting the ‘Hari asleep’ season; attendants hold lamps and tulasī.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity that reduces vanity and comfort is praised as a means to lessen suffering and cultivate inner steadiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is vrata-oriented and does not name a specific tirtha in its wording.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

During Cāturmāsya (Hari’s yoganidrā), avoid hair grooming and keep nails/body-hair untrimmed as a form of restraint.